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DETERMINATION OF IMPACT FROM VIBRATIONS RELATED TO HIGHWAY USE

This report describes the results of a study to determine the environmental impact from traffic-induced ground vibration. The study encompassed psychological, legal, and engineering efforts to define the nature and extent of the problem. At the beginning of the study, there was no published literature directly related to describing either the engineering aspects or applicable criteria to evaluate the impact of traffic-induced vibration. Litigation, however, had occurred in the United States. The results of this study have clarified the nature and extent of traffic-induced vibration. Traffic-induced vibration is, generally, an urban problem. Generally, the owner-resident of a building is the annoyed party. It appears that traffic-induced vibration is not of sufficient magnitude to generally cause structural damage to buildings. However, old buildings of an historic character may be a special concern. The main text of this report summarizes the detailed results of the study. Appendicies are included presenting the detailed results.